


The Wife

by Avidfanficwriter



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Fear, Forced Marriage, Hurt, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Romantic interests, Tension, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:54:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22252177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avidfanficwriter/pseuds/Avidfanficwriter
Summary: Bucky Barnes stares into the eyes of a young woman he's never met before and agrees to marry her in front of his entire family because it's the right thing to do. She's young, alone and a orphan which means she won't make it in this cruel world by herself, so he's doing the right thing by marrying her. It's the right thing.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	The Wife

"...I now pronounce you... husband and wife." The tears swelling in Elizabeth's eyes are anything but joyful, she's just signed her life away in the form of a verbal agreement. From this day forward, she's no longer Elizabeth Carson, she's Elizabeth Barnes, the loving wife to James 'Bucky' Barnes. Her heart races and her body shakes with fear as her heart rises to her throat she doesn't want this. She doesn't know him but she doesn't have a choice. 

It's marriage or a cruel future. 

Elizabeth is newly seventeen years of age with doe eyes and lack of experience in the real world, her parents had her life planned out, attend college, become one of those women with a future before settling down and having a family of her own. Their dreams never became reality, when a week ago they were involved in a terrible car crash, their vehicle slid off the road and collided with a nearby telephone pole. It's winter, not many people are out traveling which meant by the time they were found, it was too late. They were gone and suddenly Elizabeth was an orphan. Her options were limited, with no money and no family left; the only future she has is one where she's forced to take part in degrading actions to survive while living on the streets unless she were to marry a man who could take care of her. A marriage, a husband would provide her with a stable future. 

There'd be no hazardous actions taken on her part, no rumps in the hay with strange men. She'd be taken care of. That's what Bucky has agreed to do, he's saving her, giving her a chance of surviving. 

He's just met her as well, Steve, his best friend knows her better than him which is how he's wound up in this church with his father's suit on and sweaty palms. Steve convinced him to do it just as he does everything else, "She's a kid. You can't let her turn out like the rest, what if it was Becca?" It's the mention of his sister that turns the wheels in his head, if this was Becca, If their family died and she was alone, all he could hope was for someone to take her in. It takes him back to the day he witnessed a woman that Elizabeth could possibly become if he doesn’t do this.

Bucky's in the heart of New York waiting for Steve to get out of class because they've walked home together since they were kids and now it's become a habit, when a woman dressed in rags approaches him. She gives him a crooked smile, with teeth that are stained black and unwashed hair framing her face. 

"Wanna ride?" She offers making an obscene gesture with her hand, her nails are long and unkempt with dirt underneath them. She was beautiful once upon a time, teeth pearly white and a glint in her eyes but she's a far cry from that girl now. 

The woman quickly rushes off when Steve walks out of the building, shoving a folder of drawings under his arm and shouting Bucky's name. He faces Steve but can't get the image of the woman out of his mind, he's picturing Becca. His brown-haired blue-eyed baby sister scouring the city looking for a man who will offer her money to take her to the back alley. 

Bucky doesn't have much money; his apartment has a sketchy heating duct and he isn't entirely comfortable with the idea that Elizabeth is only seventeen and he's 23 but he's beginning to run out of options. It’s fear that caused this and Steve’s insistent pleading.

"Why don't you marry Elizabeth?" Bucky asks Steve on the walk home even though he already knows the answer. Marriage is out of the question for Steve, he's small, frail. Skin and bones really with a knack for always getting sick. Society has deemed the male as the breadwinner and the woman as the caretaker, if he were to marry the roles would be reversed and he'd be the laughing stock of the neighborhood. Steve could barely keep down a job let alone a date; the few dates he's been on ended with rejection. He can't marry Elizabeth because he'd never be able to provide for her. He wouldn't be able to take care of her. People didn't look at Steve and see a man, they saw a boy who was sick. It has to be Bucky. Her only hope is Bucky. 

"I can't marry her, Buck." Steve says dejected, kicking a loose piece of gravel with his foot. "I would, if I could... But she's got no chance with me." He sighs heavily, stopping to look at Bucky. "She's going to get killed, Buck. I can't let her. She doesn't deserve this." 

Bucky isn't a boyfriend type of man; he likes women and women like him. He spends days trying to impress girls, wastes his hard-earned money to get their affection. If he marries, he loses that freedom. He loses the countless women he can bed. 

"I feel terrible." Steve admits shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm offering her to any man that might possibly want her." 

It's the last comment that convinced Bucky to go through with this, he doesn't know any of these prospective men and most likely neither does Steve but he's using the purest of intentions. Any of these possible suitors could be just as bad as those offering money for sex, at least he can guarantee he would never touch her unless she asked. Marriage didn't give him the freedom to have his way with her, it was a legal contract between them that would ensure her livelihood. 

The muscles in Bucky's stomach tighten and he takes a deep breath, "Alright. I'm getting married." The words taste foreign on his tongue and he doesn't even try to second guess what he's agreeing to. He's doing this for Steve because there's nothing he wouldn't do for his best friend, he's family and this proves just that. He's doing this because it's what Steve wishes he could do. "What does she look like?" 

Steve describes her in great detail, from her eyes to her smile and the odd habit she has of playing with her hair when she gets nervous. "She's not a redhead." Steve jokes nudging his elbow into Bucky's side. 

Exactly seven days later, Bucky is standing at the front of the church in his father's old suit, it's tattered and aged and slightly too small for him. His sister, Becca is in a purple dress she spent day and night making for just this occasion, ‘it's not every day my brother gets married’ she told him with a smile. His mother is in tears and his father is beyond proud of him, their son is becoming a man. Steve of course is dressed in a hand me down suit, a Lilly pinned to his chest as he takes on the role of best man. “I can't do it without you, buddy.” Bucky told him as they arrived at the church, he needed Steve to be there just as Steve needs Bucky to do this. 

Bucky's palms are dripping with sweat, his mouth is running dry because after today, after he kisses this woman in front of him, he's married. He's a husband with a wife, responsibilities and someone will depend on him. His bride, Elizabeth is standing before him with her face hidden beneath a sheer veil wearing a dress that is decorated with lace and off-white flowers that adds a touch of simplicity to the dress. It's loose fitting and hangs off her shoulders, allowing the shape of her body to remain a secret. 

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest says with a joyous voice. 

Bucky takes a step forward and reaches with shaky hands to see who his wife is, the veil can't weigh anymore than an ounce but it feels like he's lifting a ton of steel. Neither of them thought this moment would be as hard as it is. With the veil neatly pushed away, their eyes take one another in. 

Her husband. 

His wife. 

Steve’s description didn't do her justice. She's small, smaller than Steve which throws him at first, there weren't many people he came into contact with that were smaller than his best friend. Her makeup is minimal, she's wearing a light shade of red lipstick that highlights her prominent cupids bow, her cheeks are tinted pink that could simply be her nerves or make up, he's not sure. Her eyes are makeup free which helps the natural beauty of them shine through. He wants to say they are simply brown but that would be wrong. Her eyes are honey and gold mixed together; fresh honey that is in a glass jar being held against the rays of the sun he comes to realize.. Bucky is 99.9% sure if he looks at them in the actual sunlight they will glow. Her hair which is definitely not red (he was holding out hope, Steve was playing him) is dark brown, a startling contrast from her eyes. 

Elizabeth's eyes trace Bucky's' features, his jaw is sharp with the tiniest hint of a five o'clock shadow threatening to ruin his clean-shaven look. His hair is short, neatly trimmed and a chocolate color, it's style to the right with a few unruly hairs that refused to cooperate, if she knew him better, she'd reach out and try to tame them. His eyes are blue, a light shade of blue like the sea from above. Bucky is at least a foot taller than her with a small smile on his lips that he keeps swiping his tongue across. 

Bucky closes the space between them, gently resting his large hand on her hip and presses his lips against hers. 

It's a long enough of a kiss to prove to everyone watching it's genuine but quick enough that they don't have to go any further. They kiss like young children, their lips puckered and not an ounce of intimacy shared between them. Bucky's mother cries out with glee, Becca follows next and Steve shouts when they part. 

Bucky holds her hand as they turn to face their guests with forced smiles on their faces and tears pooling in Elizabeth's eyes. The impending reality is sinking in, they're married to one another. Complete strangers who are now family. Bucky's mother leaps for joy when they walk down the aisle, her cold hands come into contact with her daughter in law's face, telling her that she's going to have a beautiful life with her son. Bucky’s father pats his shoulder nodding his head as an approval. Becca is ecstatic and unable to form a complete sentence as she looks at their hands, their left ring finger is now sporting a brand-new gold band, a symbol of their love. 

Elizabeth and Bucky leave their wedding with fear ridden faces, her dress is bunched up into his car, her hands shaking and she refuses to look at him. He's well aware of where her mind is going, it's their wedding day and the first night as man and wife usually ends with sex. It's the last thing Bucky wants; she's still a child and he would never force himself on a woman regardless if she's his wife and their duties as husband and wife involve having children. He wants her about as much as she wants him, zero percent. 

His-- Their home is up three flights of stairs with two deadbolts on the door which Bucky insists are from the previous tenants. Inside the apartment, it looks like a bachelor's pad, mismatched furniture, a layer of dust on the tv stand and empty beer bottles left on the side tables. An oak bookshelf that is nearly the same height as her new husband is up against the wall near the television that's full of a few movies and books on the three shelves close to the bottom. As far as Elizabeth can tell they are not organized properly just placed there and forgotten. The fourth shelf is empty except for a long book that has an instrument on it. The fifth shelf has a few pictures, some of his family then a few of he and Steve. The living room has one large lamp that’s in a corner, it only has one working light bulb instead of two, he has been meaning to fix that, he tells her.

The further into the apartment she gets the more Elizabeth realizes how much trouble she's in, his home is bare, lack of a personal touch as if he simply uses it as a place to rest. The kitchen is another story, the white tile has a yellow tinge, the stove is a mess of grime and oil taking resident on the wall behind it and the appliance itself. The refrigerator is decorated in fingerprints. The steel sink is full of dirty dishes, the few unable to fit inside are left along the counter, some full of mysterious liquids but thankfully he has enough common sense to not leave any leftover food inside the bowls and plates. A coffee pot is perched near the fridge filled with this morning coffee and a green mug is in front of it, presumably his cup from this morning. 

A bag of bread is on the counter, a few jars of white sugar, one of flour and another of brown sugar. There are loose tea bags in another jar but it looks untouched. 

"I should've cleaned up." He remarks glancing around the room, noticing how dirty it is. 

The garbage needs to be dumped, the table needs to be wiped down and the pile of what she assumes are bills, need to be taken care of. Elizabeth isn't a wife, she's his slave. A maid who will play the role of his mother and then mother his children. 

Her attention turns back to the living room and she notices two pieces of artwork that are hanging on the far wall near the hallway, both pictures are lopsided and look out of place in the empty home. They must be gifts from Steve she assumes, Bucky doesn't seem the type to appreciate art. 

The hallway creates another series of concern when she noticed two doors on the left side of the hallway and one door on the right side along with French doors at the end of the hall. One door is obviously a bedroom, Bucky's bedroom to be exact, the other must be a bathroom but the third door is questionable. 

"Does someone else live here?" Elizabeth asks peering down the hallway, her hand coming up to twirl her hair. 

"No, not anymore. Steve did but once I agreed to this. He moved out. We didn't think it would be well perceived if we got married and he was still living with me." 

"Does he have a place to go?" 

"Yes." 

"With Steve gone, I figured you could have his old room if that's more comfortable?" He offers walking past her to the first door. "There's a bed, dresser and ample closet space." It's a simple bedroom, a bed in the middle of the wall, a dark cherry dresser near a low window that's hidden behind a blanket that looks nailed to the wall. The closet is nothing to brag about, it has enough room for a few clothes but nothing more. 

Bucky places her bags on the mattress, "I'll get you some extra sheets out of my room tonight." He offers her a kind smile. 

"Thank you." 

Bucky feels like a fish out of water, he's brought women home before all under different circumstances but nonetheless, they've been here. Only this feels terrifying, it's like his insides are being twisted for pleasure. He's cursing Steve for talking him into this, if he was single, he wouldn't have to be changing his entire life around to accommodate a child. 

"The bathroom is here." He says walking out of the room towards the second door on the left, there's an extra toothbrush and toothpaste. Towels are under the sink, there's some soap in the shower but if you need anything, let me know." 

The bathroom oddly doesn't match the rest of the house, the walls throughout the apartment were beige while the bathroom is decorated in blue paint and small blue tiles inside the shower/tub combo. The sink has some toothpaste stains inside, the faucet needs to be polished and the rugs need replacing. 

The apartment isn't much, nothing compared to the home she grew up in but it has a roof and a bed. As for her husband, he doesn't seem bad but she didn't expect anything more than a gentleman considering he's friends with Steve. The extra bedroom helped to relieve her nerves; she was terrified they'd be sharing a bed together. 

They walk into the living room, her eyes scanning the room for anything she's missed. Elizabeth has never been anywhere but her home and the Waterson's home who lived next door and even then, after twelve years their home felt strange to be inside. Bucky’s home feels like a jail cell. She's given up her identity, her home, her things for him. Bucky stops a few feet in front of her, offering her his right hand. 

"I'm Bucky." He says with a tight smile. "I just realized we didn't get properly introduced." 

"Bucky? The priest called you James." She says out loud in confusion. 

"Ye-Yeah. My name is James, Bucky is a nickname." He drops his hand wiping it across his slacks, his palms are sweating again. "You can call me whichever you like." 

"I'm Elizabeth." Her voice is quiet, quieter than when they were at the church. "Just Elizabeth." she repeats.

The silence encapsulates them once again, forcing them to realize they really don't know one another. Elizabeth is surrounded by Bucky; her entire life is Bucky. The person she was ceases to exist now. Her life is him; she owes him that much is clear. He doesn't look any more comfortable with this than she feels, which means Steve must be the reason he agreed to this. He gave up his life to save hers. 

"So.. wh-what do you we do?" She questions interrupting the silence. "We're husband and wife, what's our life like... as that?" 

"Oh... well, every Sunday, I- or we, I guess now; uh... go with my parents to church and then have Sunday lunch at their house. Becca pops in every now and then, mainly to get away from our mom." 

"Okay." 

"I work Tuesday through Saturday, day shift for now but it might change later. Steve said, ``You go to school so you won't be alone much except for Saturdays and-" 

"I don't." 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I don't go to school anymore." Elizabeth says swallowing hard as her tears come back. 

"Oh... Steve said--" 

"I'm a wife. Wives don't need schooling." She interrupts. 

All Bucky can respond with is a, "Oh." He forgot about that. Women who marry aren't expected to go to school, regardless of their age. They're married which means the only expectation they are required of is carrying children and that idea still doesn't sit well with him. He can't fathom the idea of a child carrying a child, his child or not. She's a year older than his sister, a year and two months to be exact. Becca still wears bright pink pajamas and writes in her diary about boys from school, cries when a school boy breaks her heart and begs him not to retaliate. She gets excited when the city has a parade and has to ask permission to go out at night. Becca couldn't be a mother at this age and there's no way he'd make Elizabeth one. 

"Did you want to go to school again?" He asks forcing the image of her small frame with an expanding stomach out of his mind. 

Elizabeth ignores the question, instead she brings a hand up and pushes her hair behind her ears. "What about..." Her voice trails off, hoping he understands what she means without having to say it. Bucky arches an eyebrow at her, shaking his head not understanding. She sighs heavily and drops her eyes to his waist then raises them back up to meet his sparkling blue eyes. 

"Oh! No, I don't..." He clears his throat and takes a step back as if putting more space between them helps to support his answer. "I don't expect that." 

She nods, chewing on her lower lip. "But you will?" 

"No! Not-- Not with you." 

"With someone else then?" 

Bucky opens his mouth but closes it abruptly, he hadn't thought about that either. Bucky wasn't exactly known for spending the nights alone, he always had some form of entertainment. He wasn’t going to get that from her, or allow himself to even consider the idea. "Probably." He admits, caving in on himself. "Unless you have a problem with that." 

"We didn't marry for love and I'm not with child so do what you must." She says refusing to look into his eyes. Her head nod gently and she glances at the wedding band on her finger. "Thank you for this." She whispers letting her fingers rub the small band. "I know you didn't have too." 

"It's no big deal." He lies. 

"It is," Elizabeth forces a smile. "And I'm thankful." 

They stare at one another still dressed in their wedding attire, their rings weighing heavy on their hands and their titles spinning through their minds. "Mr. and Mrs. Barnes." "Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes." "James and Elizabeth Barnes." They're married and they live together now. 

His tie is hanging loosely around his neck, the flower pinned to his jacket is beginning to wilt and the sun is setting behind the buildings. He hadn't pictured his wedding day before but if he had to take a guess this wouldn't be how it went, he would marry the most beautiful woman he's ever seen preferably a red head, a diamond ring that would cost him a fortune resting on her finger, a wedding band he took the time to pick out, not a random pair he pointed at in the display case and bought without a second thought. (He's not even sure the bands they're wearing are real and Elizabeth doesn't have an engagement ring which thankfully he was able to explain to his mother by saying he didn't have enough money saved up to buy the one he really wanted to give her, which should buy him some time) Their wedding would be full of family, his and hers; rice tossed over their heads as they left the church. He'd carry her through the doorway while she tossed her head back with laughter and bring her into their bedroom where he would show her just how much he loves her. Instead he's standing across from his wife, who's a child; who he's only known for three hours and is completely unprepared for the life he's agreed to spend with her. 

"I should unpack my stuff." Elizabeth says and disappears down the hallway. 

"I'll get the other boxes you have from the car." Bucky says feeling guilty that he's happy about being alone. He and Steve had an hour before the wedding and decided to pick up the few boxes Elizabeth had packed while his mother and sister helped her get ready at the church. Her home was bare, stripped of its identity with empty walls and sheets covering the furniture. She had two bags and two boxes that they stuffed into his car while Steve kicked at the road beneath his feet and thanked him for doing this, maybe she'll be good for you; Steve suggested with a smile. Bucky simply nodded at the comment. 

Bucky lugs the two boxes and bags into the house at once, juggling them in his arms as he walks up the flight of stairs. It's quicker to take them all at once and would let him get out of his father's suit quick enough and never have to wear it again. Another thing he didn't understand was why he had to wear a different suit at his wedding rather than his church one, it was just as nice. He gently uses his foot to nudge the door to Steve’s old room open but it taken by surprise when Elizabeth pulls it open still dressed in her wedding dress. 

"I need to go into town tomorrow." Elizabeth says quietly as he places the boxes onto the bed. 

"Why?" 

"I have to return this dress." She says rubbing at the floral lace on her arms. 

"Why?" He questions again. 

"They charge per day." She pierces her lips and meets his eyes full of confusion. "and I don't have enough money for another day." 

Bucky looks at the dress again, "It's not your mother's?" 

Elizabeth shakes her head and inhales deeply, "No, she--she's buried in it." Her exhale is loud and he notices there's a slight shake to her body. "I rented the cheapest dress the store had and if I keep it longer than twelve hours, they charge extra." 

Bucky's ears perk up at the knowledge, she rented her wedding dress. The dress she's wearing in their wedding pictures, the one his mother and sister swooned over was rented. His mother cherished her wedding gown, it's been in the white box for as long as he can remember, he's only seen it twice. Once when he and Becca were young and full of questions about their parent's life before them and another when his mother promised the dress to Becca giving her a tearful smile, saying she can't wait until the day she sees her in the dress next to her husband. Women did that sort of thing, saved their dresses and wedding invitations but his wife doesn't have that same opportunity.. "How much is the dress?" He asks 

"It's okay." She runs her hands down her stomach, smoothing out the wrinkles that have formed from her moving while in the dress. "I just need to return it by tomorrow morning, I don't know if you were okay with me doing it or preferred you do it." 

"No, I'll buy it." He insists stepping towards her. 

"No, you can't do that." Elizabeth shakes her head and puts her hand out as a barrier, preventing him from coming any closer to her. "It's too much." 

"I have money." He lets out in an offended tone. 

"It's not that." She chuckles nervously, "I-I- I don't need it." 

"It's your wedding dress." 

"No, James..." His name sounds weird coming from her. "It's just..." 

"How much is it?" he insists.

"I don't like it!" She shouts and he notices her eyes are once again filling with tears. This marriage is going beautifully; he's almost made her cry three times so far and they haven't even been married for twenty-four hours. 

"Oh." 

"I just need to return it." Her tone falters, revealing the sadness that's hidden in her body. 

"Okay. Leave it on the table, I'll take it back in the morning on my way to work." With that Bucky leaves the room, his hands digging deep in his pockets and guilt in his stomach. 

They've both stolen their days from one another, her once in a lifetime wedding was given to a man she didn't love and his moment of watching his bride approach him was given to a woman who isn't old enough to be considered a woman. This is the day girls dream about the day they practice on the playground with all their little friends and imagine who their husband would be. Becca played that game, her husband was always a blonde in her games, blonde with 'green blue eyes that had the tiniest bit of brown, chocolate chip brown' she would say as her eyes seem to glaze over, his suit would have light blue running down it to match her bouquet and he'd tear up as she walked down the aisle towards him. Becca played that game until she was nine years old and it always ended the same, she'd have three kids, two girls and a boy; two cats and her husband would work a normal job as she'd raise their babies who would conveniently all be two years apart. As for them, their marriage is a sham. A lie to help protects her. They didn't have dreams of having a family together, neither of them stayed up late at night and wondered who their children would resemble more. If he stays up at night thinking of anything it will be how to live a lie. 

Bucky wakes early the next day beating his alarm clock by an hour, he'd taken his wedding ring off last night, it was uncomfortable as if he was wearing a metal handcuff that dug into his skin. The gold band is mocking him from the side table near his clock, it's caught the light from the window and directing it into his eye. The ring remains there as he showers, he can't bring himself to pick it up and put it on; he can barely look at it. He opens his door, slowly, peeking out of his room as if he's the guest in the house. He left Elizabeth a white sheet for her bed last night outside of the door with a soft knock and quickly hurried back to his room, he hasn't seen her since last night and with no sign of her inside of the bedroom, he's wondering if she is even still in the house. 

It could've been too much for her, the marriage, the home; their lives together and decided she couldn't do this. He wouldn't blame her. If this wasn't his home, he probably would have run off in the middle of the night too. 

His heart threatens to jump out of his chest when he enters the kitchen to find Elizabeth standing at the stove dressed in pink striped pajama pants and a loose-fitting T-shirt. He can’t see her eyes but from the rigid state her body is in, she appears uncomfortable. There are a few cabinets opened, a glass bowl resting on the counter and a carton of eggs sitting next to it. 

"Are you... okay?" He asks, propping himself against the counter close to the fridge. 

"I can't cook." She says as if she's just realizing it. 

"Oh..." Bucky nods and clears his throat, "That's... that's fine." 

"My mother was supposed to teach me this summer." Elizabeth lets out a shaky breath and pushes her hair behind her ears. "I can make toast and tea but that's it." Her voice is distant. 

"You're young, you have time." Bucky says with a shrug of his shoulders but he doesn't actually know if that helps the situation or not. "I can pick something up to eat on the way to work, I already have to drop your dress off." He doesn't mean for it to come out annoyed but it does and he can tell by the way her shoulders tense up that she noticed it too. 

Bucky leaves the house thirty minutes later, Elizabeth's wedding dress is neatly folded under his arm, a brown bag with his lunch (that he packed) is in his right hand as he leaves the house, bidding her a simple goodbye and slight smile. For the first time in ten hours since arriving here, Elizabeth feels like she can finally breathe properly. When Steve told her, he knew a man who was willing to marry her and spoke nothing but praises about him, she was expecting something -someone- different. 

A man like Steve was who she was expecting, someone shy, nervous and trips over his tongue every time he tries to speak. 

The first two hours alone inside Bucky's home are spent moping inside her bedroom; sobbing loudly as she stares at the pictures of her family. Everything is gone, her life, friends. Everything. Marriage brings new responsibilities, friendships with single women weren't appropriate, friendships with friends that weren't at the same stage of their lives wasn't something many approved of. Close friends became replaced with other wives, who shared recipes, parenting tips and the neighborhood gossip. 

Life changed once single women became wives, just as life changed when young girls lost their family. 

At least most wives had a loving husband, not some poor slob who was convinced by his best friend to take pity on some young girl who lost her family in a horrible car accident. 

Her new gold ring catches her attention through her tear-filled eyes, maybe life wouldn't be so bad as an unwed orphan. She'd have to get a job to finish school-- get two jobs to afford school and a place to live, learn how to protect herself because two jobs and going to school would make for long mornings and long nights spent walking the streets of New York by herself. She'd have to buy extra locks for the front door of her home, a single woman seen walking by herself every night and morning would eventually draw the attention of unwanted men who could eventually decide to take it upon themselves to ‘protect’ her. Of course, if all things failed and she was unable to land a job, let alone two jobs, she wouldn't be able to afford an apartment, or an extra locks or money for school. Then she'd be a single, orphaned young woman who would fall into the same cycle as those before her. A depressed 40-year-old with booze on her breathe and a strange man between her legs maybe if she were lucky a crisp twenty-dollar bill in her bra. 

It couldn't be that bad? 

She wakes an hour later, unaware of how or when she fell asleep, dried tears are stained along her face; her throat is raw and her eyes are swollen she notices once she enters the bathroom. She hates the blue color, she misses the off white that was her old bathroom with the deep purple rugs beneath her feet and the flowers she normally had on a shelf. This bathroom is plain... and blue and a boys. 

The toilet seat is up, the towel he used earlier is damp and discarded on the floor and his cologne seems to be permanently etched into the walls. 

Elizabeth explores the house, checks every nook and cranny simply because she can, she doesn't expect to find anything of note but it's letting her know little by little who her husband is. He has a drawer full of junk in the kitchen, broken pens, spare tools, a small notepad and a stray piece of gum. He has an odd assortment of books, one on fixing household appliances, one about air conditioning units, a few college books subjects math, science, English; a few fiction books. 

In the corner of the room, near the lamp with one working light bulb are tattered boxing gloves, a few years old and heavily used. 

The artwork on the wall still irks her, there is nothing in the apartment to suggest he's an art student or was. The signature on the right corner is definitely not Steve’s, she’s seen it enough times to know it by heart but this signature is a mystery. They're not appealing pieces, the first one has splotches of paint on it with odd bubble-like colors near the top, the second is a simple background painting, a narrow passage with a large tree in the center, it's full of dark deep colors. To the left of the artwork is a plant, it's dead but it's not looking great either. The ends of the leaves are starting to wilt, beneath the plant is a record player but she doesn't remember seeing any records. The room is clean and cared for, aside from the empty bottles. Elizabeth has a startling thought that her new husband might just be her new drunk husband. 

The kitchen is another story, while the living room shows Bucky as a precise man; his kitchen says another. It's littered mess of junk food, countless bags of opened chips, boxes of crackers, cans of food and vegetables in the small pantry. His fridge is full of condiments, milk and a half full pitcher of water and three plastic containers of leftover food. He either doesn't eat much or he hasn't gone shopping yet. There is an assortment of pots and pans in one cabinet, a decent supply of dishware in the other. 

The table is probably the most expensive thing inside of the home, it's beautiful. Dark wood that mirrors your reflection, legs that are delicately crafted with intricate designs throughout each one. The elegance of it has no business being in this apartment. The chairs don't match, the color is different and they don't seem to be treated with the same care as the table is. 

Elizabeth lets out a deep exhale and pulls her hair into a ponytail, she's a wife now. A wife who has duties. 

Eventually she is able to find the cleaning supplies, a rude thought crosses her mind that he his able to purchase them but doesn't know how to use them. She cleans, she's always been a stress cleaner but the amount of cleaning this place needs is giving her a run for her money. The kitchen takes three in a half hour to finish, the living room didn’t look like it needed much until further inspection. The carpet desperately needs to be cleaned, she finds a vacuum in the closet down the hall smashed next to a washing machine (Something else for her to add to her list, of things she doesn't know how to use). It's trial and error in the beginning, a few mishaps, the bag to the vacuum broke spraying dirt everywhere before she eventually gets the hang of it. In the end she has two garbage bags full of empty beer bottles, cardboard and whatever needed to be tossed all while Elizabeth's muscles are aching. She takes it upon herself to water and move the small plant near the window in the kitchen.

Her fingers feel raw, her bones ache and she desperately wants to lay down and rest but she's a wife now. A wife must make her husband dinner every night. 

In the kitchen, she faces another round of "What's this? How do you cook this? And is it supposed to look this black?" He doesn't have much food stocked but she manages an attempt on a cake he mother use to make, she helped a handful of times. It doesn't come out the same, the taste is off and it's not as big as she remembers. For dinner as their first meal as husband and wife, she's made him a cake. A plain yellow cake with no frosting and a bad aftertaste. 

Bucky arrives home, around nine, covered in a dry sweat and a putrid smell with black stains littering his arms and shirt. He does a double take when he first walks in and notices Elizabeth, like he forgets he lived with someone. She's seated at the dinner table, twirling her hair in her hands and staring out the window, her attention falls to him as he closes the door. "I didn't know when you get home." 

He nods. "Usually around seven-thirty or eight. I had to stay late today." He shrugs his shoulders and kicks off his boots, dried mud falls from the boots. He toes them off, refusing to bend over and take them off properly which makes her cringe, she just cleaned. Elizabeth stares at the layer of dirt settling itself into the nice clean carpet with fury, it's mocking her.

Bucky disappears down the hall, a bag hanging loosely off his shoulder that she doesn't remember him taking with him this morning. Elizabeth’s attention falls to the boots, they’re disgusting, covered in dirt and grime. Carefully, she carries them to the garbage can where she knocks them against one another, trying to rid the boots of the dirt they’ve accumulated. Unfortunately, her hard work goes unnoticed as the shoes don’t look any different then they did when she first started. 

"What are you doing?" Bucky asks startling. 

"Your boots are disgusting." 

"They're my work boots." He says nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. 

Elizabeth turns around, dropping the boots to the floor and instantly gasps, Bucky is standing in the middle of the kitchen with a towel in his hands, droplets of water gleaming off his bare chest and pajama pants hanging loosely off his hips. He rubs the cotton towel against his hair and stares at Elizabeth confused. "What's wrong?" He asks confused.

The sound of her swallowing is obnoxiously loud and makes her cringe. It's not the first time she's seen a male without a shirt but it's never been deliberate, the Waterson's son, Joey was usually late to school, rushing out of his house and struggling to pull his t-shirt over his head or her father's friends would lift their shirts to wipe the sweat from their brow. She'd catch glimpses of their bare chest but never faced openly with one as she is now. This, seeing a man in front of her with no shirt on and no shirt in his hand, nothing in his reach to even consider covering his chest with is new. 

"No-nothing." She chokes out, forcing herself to retrieve his fallen boots and walk past him.. 

"You made a... cake?" He asks stepping towards the table, craning his neck to look at the plastic Tupperware. Elizabeth nods, keeping her eyes low. "For dinner?" 

"It's the only other thing I know how to make." Elizabeth whispers as Bucky hangs his towel off the back of his chair. 

"You cleaned?" His blue eyes trail the kitchen, it looks different. Clean. He almost misses the hints of brown and yellow. 

"Yes." 

She serves him a slice of cake with a glass of water instead of milk and intends to leave the room when he stops her, "You're not eating?" He asks in a loud voice. 

"N-No, I was going to eat when you finished so I could clean." 

"I'd prefer us to eat as a family." 

Family. A family. Eat like a family. They're pretending to be married, pretending to be lovers; there aren't a family. This is all fake, they shouldn't have to keep up a lie during their time alone when there is no one there to catch them. "We're not--" 

"-I know. I just..." Bucky interrupts letting out a loud sigh, he brushes a hand through his hair. "We're married real or not, we might as well get used to being around one another." 

Elizabeth exhales deeply, pulling a white plate from the cabinet and sits across from Bucky. She places a small slice of cake onto the plate and gives Bucky a warm smile. They eat in silence; Bucky has to force each bite down his throat and Elizabeth finds herself coughing every so often after a bite. Her mother definitely made it better. 

"No frosting?" Bucky comments midway through their dinner. 

"No. I don't remember how she made it." 

"She?" 

"My mother." 

"Oh." He drinks, gulping down his drink with hope it somehow fills his stomach. "Do you know when the funeral will be?" 

"The state is having one in a few days." She says moving pieces of cake around the plate. "Would you have a problem if I went?" 

Bucky's jaw drops, "No, of course not. I figured I should go with you. Considering..." 

Considering... Considering they’re married now. Elizabeth thinks to herself, it's them now. There's an overwhelming amount of pain that fills Elizabeth's heart as she nods in response. She didn't want Bucky there, doesn't want him anywhere near that personal moment and for the most part Bucky knows that too, he doesn't have a right to be there. They don’t know one another, they’re strangers who met under the worst of circumstances. 

"I can stay in the car." He offers after a round of silence. "I'll stay in the car while you attend." He corrects himself shoving another bite of the spongy cake into his mouth. 

Elizabeth wears a black dress and dabs her eyes with tissues as her parents are lowered into the ground. It's the day of the funeral, the day her parents become one with the earth. True to his word, Bucky remains in the car, fingers tapping the steering wheel as he watches from afar. He's only been to one funeral in his life, Steve's mother's. He remembers the sobbing from the neighbors, the priest looks of despair and Steve's expression that haunted him. He expected tears to fall from Steve’s blue eyes, an asthma attack to ensure but there was nothing. Not a single emotion was visible from the man’s face. Instead Steve remained silent the rest of the day and was back to normal the next.

He gave Elizabeth her space because unlike Steve, where he knew his mother since childhood, he's never met her family. He didn't know if her mother read her bedtime stories before bed or if her father drank beer on Sundays while her mother made dinner. Her family, her life before him is a mystery, her brain is full of memories that will be locked in a box soon to be forgotten.

The funeral is short with not many in attendance, the ambiance of the day is dark and gloomy like the weather, black clouds hold the blue sky hostage and rain drops fall from the sky. Elizabeth returns to the car, rain soaked hair with swollen eyes and a sore voice. 

Flowers had never looked so depressing, the beauty and the smell of them linger in the air around her, the day was morbid. She enters the car holding one white rose and one red rose and doesn't move after settling into the chair. 

"Do you need..." Bucky starts to ask before abruptly closing his mouth. If this was Steve, he'd buy him some candy and drag him out to Coney Island again, make him smile and remember that he was going to be alright. With Elizabeth, he's clueless. They've been married for three days and they still don't know one another. He doesn't know what makes her happy or what makes her smile. He doesn't know what to offer or what he can do to help her feel better.

Bucky walks behind Elizabeth as they enter their home, her eyes are still swollen with tears running down her cheeks, she hasn't said a word and the roses are clutched into her hands tightly. They walk into the kitchen when he notices the small pebbles of red on her fingertips. Without thinking and probably due to the years, he's spent taking care of Steve he grabs her forearm and drags her to the sink, taking the roses from her hands and places her hands underneath cold stream of water. The thorns pierced her skin, made the ache in her hands numb compared to the one she feels in her heart. 

It's the first time, Bucky sees Elizabeth as a woman and not a child. She stands before him, watching the water cascade around her injured fingers with a blank expression. "Are you okay?" He asks in a low voice, rubbing his fingertip along the prickled skin. Elizabeth's brown eyes turn to meet his and he can't stop help himself. He pulls her into him wrapping his arms around her small frame, she's so little that he feels he's break her if he hugs her tightly. It’s different than hugging Steve, with Steve he knows how little he is and fragile but doesn’t fear breaking him. With Elizabeth, he’s scared she would shrivel into nothing if he held her to tight. He rests his chin on the top of her head as she takes in his warmth, leaning her head against his chest as more tears start. 

Elizabeth pulls away after a while, wiping her eyes and disappearing into her bedroom with the door closing gently behind her. No one makes dinner that night. They don't see one another for the rest of the night and all Bucky wants to do is knock on the door and ask if she's doing okay or needs anything, he refrains from doing that. He forces himself to sleep, cracking his door open just in case she needs something. 


End file.
